Thursday, January 28, 2010

Here's a notion to add some more drama and reduce dice rolling for the DM.

Resolve the players attack and the monsters attack with the same die roll.

PC rolls normal to hit chance. If the die roll (no the final score) is equal to or less then their own AC + monsters HD then the monster get's a hit in on the PC. A monster can cause no more hits then normally accounted for in it's abilities, most damaging blow should be rolled first.

A die roll of 20 and the monster doesn't get the hit in regardless of how tough it is.A die roll of 1 a monster gets a hit in, regardless of the number of attacks the monster has.

Surprised foes don't get a counter attack.

Missile attacks don't auto hit on a 20 and don't get a counter attack on a 1. Counter attacks against missile fire are only possible if the target has ability to reach or is armed with a missile weapon.

Attackers expose themselves to being hit with every attack they make under such a system. Attackers can also end up absorbing blows their friends may suffer otherwise.

So we have every blow being a chance of getting harmed, a built in critical and fumble result (auto counter, no counter attack) without lot's of extra mechanics and dice rolling.

This idea hasn't been tried by me just yet but it was just cool enough I had to pass it on.

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

In the last minutes of tonight's Mutant Future game the party gained a new name: The Flatulent Desperadoes.

Starting back at the beginning of the session the party equipped up with the funds gained in earlier play. Most of the party got Jackalopes, Bobo got a War-Jack and a Spidery is now the "loyal" steed of Craniax; the whoel party chipped in funds to get a Bloat to serve as a pack carrier.

Against all odds the party had an uneventful journey from productive Fresh Pond to the den of inequity known as Spillside.

The party found shelter at an inn that to us modern folks would look like a storage bin rental facility. Most of the party set off looking for a gun dealer leaving Bay-Aluminum and Karhoo behind. To their misfortune they ran into a gang of Goliaths and a melee ensued when Enakai leapt up and punched one in the mouth; She and Gevvin lost their lives in the fight. Craniax and Bobo looted the remains of their fallen companions and three fallen Goliaths before acquiring a shotgun at a dealer.

Following this downturn of events Bobo went out to mug a hapless victim while everyone else mourned the loss of their fallen friends. Bobo managed to scare off a pack of pig-men via empathy attack and gave up on his miscreant ways (briefly).

Karhoo figured out a way to mask his negative empathy using his illusion generation power, or so he thought. Trying the stunt out in the bar attached to the inn proved to a failure. Karhoo managed to use his gas attack twice and Bay fire his Radiation and integrated laser pistol to finish off the patrons and staff of the bar in 4 rounds.After waiting for the gas to clear an quickly looting the dead before reclaiming their stabled steeds Craniax jokingly refereed to the gang as "The Flatulent Desperadoes" (unknowingly within ear shot of a hiding stable hand).

Bloats can and may suffer from a variety of ailments and difficulties that make the steeds a unique experience for adventurers.

There is a 15% chance any new bloat will have a problem. there is a 1% chance per month of developing a problem if a bloat currently has none.

Bloat Problems (roll 1d20)

1. Allergy- the bloat suffers 1 hp of damage per turn when in proximity of allergen2. Athletes foot- the bloat itches feet all the time, could be contagious3. Ingrown toe-nail- speed in reduced by 1/5th until treated4. Sniffles- the bloat seems to always have a head cold, 1 in 10 chance of screwing up an ambush5. Fear Impulse- one type of creature makes the bloat run in horror, no save6. Flatulence- the bloat has a 1 in 6 chance of letting rip each encounter7. Tummy Ache- the bloat is irritable and noisy until cured (or it goes away in 2-7 days)8. Gout- the Bloat has a 10% chance of being incapacitated for 1-3 days each week.9. Leprosy 5 save each week or contract disease,10. Lice - rider must save vs poison each day or suffer 1 hp damage11. Brittle Bones- any hit has a 1 in 12 chance of crippling the Bloat12. Contagious Psoriasis- 20% chance the rider catches it each week -1 CHA13. Irritable Bowel Syndrome- 15% chance of being incapacitated for 1-6 hours after a meal14. Uncontrollable Urination- 1 in 8 chance per encounter of urinating15. Hums (Badly)- hums old show tunes now and again, 1 in 12 chance each hour, will not stop for 1-100 turns.16. Gas Attack (determine intensity randomly)- 1 in 20 chance of letting rip each encounter17. Blink 1 in 100 chance per encounter up to 500 ft away18. Drools - unsightly, also makes the Bloat even easier to track19. Berserk Rage 2 in 100 chance per encounter of going nuts and attacking everyone20. Random Mutation Bloat Develops a random physical or mental mutation.

The Man-at-Arms has been part of old school fantasy gaming since the birth of the game. The man-at-arms is a common man with some training and willingness to enter combat but no real capacity for heroic action or lordship. Here are some proposed 0-level aids for adventurers to hire to fill a wider range of support roles.

Some of these fellows could prove very useful for a low level party and possibly into mid levels but they shouldn't alter the power of PCs too significantly and their low saves and hp certainly limit effectiveness at higher levels where more capable and dedicated henchmen should be employed.

Friar: brothers of an order trained to support their religion and spread the faith. They may use arms and armor allowed to clerics of their faith, they may use magical items allowed to clerics and may turn undead twice per day as if a 1st level cleric.(4 to 6 hp) morale 9, wages- 25 gp

Initiate: members of a faith schooled in rituals and rites. It is their duty to aid the more powerful clerics. An initiate may pray for 1 st level spell a day that may be cast with the assistance of a cleric. They are not able to cast the spell themselves. They are not trained in the use of weapons and armor but may otherwise use all items allowed to clerics. (2 to 4 hp) morale 7, wages- 50 gp

Scribes: educated individuals able to identify and read scrolls 90% of the time. They may use scrolls written by MUs or Clerics. if they fail to properly use a scroll there is a 10% chance of mishap per spell level. (2 to 4 hp) morale 7,wages- 75 gp

Sapper : locate traps, disarm traps and open locks on a 1-2 on a d6. They can open any \normal sealed portal (unless sealed by magic) after 2 turns of (noisy) labor on a 1-4 in 6 chance. They wear armors lighter then mail. (4 to 6 hp)morale 9, wages- 25 gp

Shield Bearer: specialized men at arms, equipped with a large or tower shield they improve the AC of their master by 2 when adjacent (if they make no attacks). Up to 2 shield bearers may defend a single person. (5 to 8 hp) morale 10, wages- 50 gp

Urchin: may move, hide. locate traps and listen as a 1st level thief. often used as scouts in dungeon environments. no thieves in your rules set: they have a 2 in 6 chance of success per task. (3 to 5 hp)morale 6, wages- 2 gp

Yeoman: men at arms that are trained archers, they attack with bows as well as a 1st level fighter. They have no skill with arms other then the bow and may not use shields against trained foes. (3 to 6 hp) morale 8, wages- 10 gp

AC should be as per armor worn. Wages per month or week depending on campaign, includes upkeep costs.

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Over the years I'll walk into my cubicle and there is a print out sitting on my chair. This is standard operating procedure for "I think this is yours but I have no idea where to put ". Now this print out is usually NOT something work related. It's usually something RPG related or much stranger AND it's almost never actually mine.

Somewhere in a company of a couple hundred there is someone who likes War Hammer,Magic the Gathering and Anime girls in underwear. And it's not me.

I've considered staking out the printers, except of course, Magic the Gathering sort of creeps me out.

I also wonder why the heck other employees have figured out that stuff like that could be mine?

Deep in the underworlds, on far off planes, exotic alien worlds and weird post apocalyptic futures there are strange radiations that bend bodies, warpminds, what follows are a few of those arcane energies.

Ossifying Radiation: With each exposure resulting in a failed save the victim suffers a loss of 1-4 points of dexterity (in addition to standard radiation damage) as their tissues stiffen and are over run with bone growth. Creatures lacking bones don't suffer this additional effect and are +2 to their save vs this radiation.

Necromorphic Radiation: When a victim of this radiation is killed by the radiation they will be reanimated in 2-7 turns as undead (zombies, ghouls or as appropriate). Their attacks will be tainted by Necromorphic radiation of half the intensity that did slay them

Spectremogrifiying Radiation: With failed save the victim of this radiation becomes less substantial and ethereal. Equipment and weapons in use have a 1 in 6 chance per failed save of dropping away each turn. When six saves are failed all the victims equipment will drop to the ground and they will be a helpless ethereal phantom (or something nastier if the ref so decides). If killed by the radiation the transformation is irreversible, those that aren't killed will have a1 in 6 chance of re-substantiating each day.

Alchemists Nightmare Radiation: This nightmare reverses the efforts of the alchemists of old. Each exposure will transform precious metals into a lower and less valuable form of metal. Metals reduced to lead (or lower) will carry this foul radiation. (A Ref could be kind and only have one form of metal exposed be effected, the most valuable one first of course)

Crystallizing Radiation: Each failed save versus this radiation will cause organic matter to become increasingly transparent. After 4 failed saves they will look like clear glass (not truly invisible as some adventurers would like). They will radiate this radiation for 1-4 days after gaining full Crystallization.

Very large and obese humanoids stand 10'-12' tall and travel at a goodly pace despite their bulk. A Bloat rider sits on the shoulders of the bloat and typically gives verbal commands. Despite it's ancestral human origins bloats have lost all intelligence. Bloats must be well fed or they can be distracted by food.Wild packs of Bloats can quickly consume rations (a weeks worth in 2-7 rounds)and are even able to eat while slapping and kicking away any trying to stop them.Bloats make almost no noises other then gentle cooing sounds.A bloat can carry 400 pounds and move at full speed, a max load is about 600 pounds.

Long bodied horses with many legs covered in an armadillo-like carapace. They can carry up to 800 pounds and can easily accommodate as many riders as possible within that weight limit. They reflect back mental attacks against them 50% of the time (being unaffected by the attacks themselves when they do so). They don’t make very good war steeds being prone to run away from a fight.

Giant horned rabbits. If caught young and trained they make fair riding beasts, pack animals and war steeds (called a war-jack). They can carry up to 400 pounds. Jackalopes can leap 60’ horizontally or 30’ vertically. Jackalope riders must tie themselves into the saddle or they are very likely to fall off (2 rounds to get into the saddle and to dismount), bare-back jackalope riding is incredibly difficult and short-lived. Energy attacks reflect harmlessly off their colorful hides 33% of the time.

This 6’ long mutated insect can be used as a mount or beast of burden by small folk. Jaw Wings cannot fly with more than 100 pounds on their backs and typically have a max load of about 200 lbs when walking. Wild Jaw wings can be dangerous if not caught and trained when young.

Big clever large red dogs often used as mounts and companion beasts. They can carry 250 pounds as a mount and a full sized human could ride one if they weren’t too heavy. Red Dogs can communicate telepathically but have little to talk about besides food, sleep and red dogs of the opposite sex. Red Dogs are totally resistant to heat/fire damage.

A freakish mutant rose covered in thorns the size of large horse able to move swiftly while carrying up to 1,000 pounds. It feeds as a plant does and must be immobile for 3 days following every 4 days of travel/work. Anyone foolish enough to try to ride a Rosiesteed without a specially made saddle suffers 1d4 points of damage a round until they get off the thing.

These giant snails can haul a rider perched on top of their shells at a very slow but sturdy pace.If a Snail fails a morale save it retreats into it's shell and generate a 20hp force field and can't be coaxed out for 1-4 turns. They will carry a load of up to 500 pounds and no more.Riding Snails can climb up and over surfaces many other mounts couldn't attempt but still can't climb up a wall despite tall tales told by scavengers and traders.

These giant snails are very slow but can haul large cargos with little difficulty. If a Snail fails a morale save it retreats into it's shell and generates a 20 hp force screen and can't be coaxed out for 1-4 turns. They will carry a load of up to 1500 pounds. The crushing attack of a pack snail is generally accidental.

These giant spiked snails are slow but steady war mounts. If a Snail fails a morale save it retreats into it's shell and generate a 30 hp force screen, can't be coaxed out for 1-4 turns. They will carry a load of up to 500 pounds. A rider can coax a war snail into generating it's force screen and stay mobile but there is a chance (make a morale check) the snail will panic and hide when commanded to generate the force screen.

Spidery are a freakishly devolved species of mutant humans that run on all fours atop their freakishly long fingers and toes. The bite of a spidery is full of toxins which will paralyze a human or mutant human (no other types) if a save at +2 is failed. A spidery can carry up to 300 pounds and move full speed. Max load is 600 pounds. A spidery carry ing 300 lbs or less could climb sheer surfaces 90% of the time (99% without a rider or load). Spidery are just intelligent enough to be a nuisance if not carefully managed and well cared for.

Large grey muscular horses that stand 7 to 8 feet high at the shoulder. These beasts can be tamed if caught young and if treated well and make very faithful steeds. Thunder horses are named for the sound made by a herd of these beasts charging past.

We played our 3rd session of Mutant Future in the MutantBox setting this past Tuesday.

The party was trapped and spread out in the a subterranean labyrinth under an old hospital defended by stitched together Frankenstein guards in orange jumpsuits with sun-glass visored yellow helmets armed with stun guns and security robots.

Crainiax managed to deactivate the vivisection robot and save Gevin from death but poor Gevin still lost an arm. After finding and reactivating Bay Aluminum Gevin made his escape through the air duct system while Craniax and Bay waited things out while invisible (Craniax couldn't fit his big head into the air duct).

While Craniax, Bay and Gevin were busy elsewhere the remaining party was fleeing through the labyrinthine complex and came into an unoccupied cafeteria and found their way into the recently evacuated kitchens. after making it look like they had exited the area by a different route they hid themselves in a meat locker and suffered the cold to avoid the security forces.

Gevin crawled his was through the air ducts which was still and easy enough task even with only one arm since he has perfect balance. He eventually exited in a large lavoratory to discover himself in an area of Dorms. He wandered until he stumbled upon a large number of grey and yellow stripped suited occupants going about their business and fled back into the ducts. Greed or curiosity got the better of him however and he popped out back in on of the dorm rooms and tried to open and search through a locker in a dorm and was apprehended by an orange suited security guard.

Craniax and Bay slipped past security bots while invisible and discovered a number of guards and with a security barrier between them and the elevators. Their ambush was quick and efficient and they ran off with captured stun guns until the came upon another security force.

Enkay. Carhoo and Fluffy exited the meat locker and were immediately engaged by a security robot, Carhoo was stunned and Fluffy managed to lock the security robot in the meat locker before the three bumped into a hapless janitor mopping the floor out in the cafeteria. Enkay tried to incapacitate the janitor but to no avail so fluffy dispatched the poor fellow. They spotted a security barricade and once they revived Carhoo they rushed the guards.

Lucky for all Craniax and Bay Aluminum heard the combat and rushed to join it. The battle was brief but left Ekay stunned. The party fled up the elevator shaft of a now disabled elevator with Enkay tied onto fluffy.

Gevin woke up with his head bumping as he was being dragged down a flight of stairs being dragged by a security guard. He made his escape using his planar-sift mutation.

The rest of the party managed to escape the under complex and the hospital. they avoided a herd of Xeno Cattle. All was going well as they made their way to the cave they had discovered in the junk pile north of the 175th Street. Blocking their way were 10 glowing humanoids. To their dismay the stun guns they had captured no longer functioned (being deactivated once the owners knew which ones were missing) so bitter and desperate melee was joined. Fluffy succumbed to radiation poisoning suffered when he bit and clawed the glowing mutants. Carhoo dispatched a few of the mutants with his gas attack and the remainder fled up into the junk pile.

The next morning the party made their way back to Fresh Pond to rest up and sell the spoils of their adventures. Luckily for them a merchant caravan arrived in town during the week so they made some lucrative sales on a few items ad were able to get anything on the equipment list they could afford.However Bay Aluminum was an awful haggler and made about 1/100th of what Craniax did for the sale of the deactivated but seemingly functional stun guns. Gevin returned by the end of the week and the tales of their exploits encouraged a new mutant ape man to offer to join them on their next forray into the ruins.

------So first PC death and 1 PC is missing an arm, no surprise Fluffy died he spent the whole session with 1 hp. All the surviving PCs earned enough experience points to level up. They plan on returning to the complex under the hospital- I might have to draw a map.

About Me

A RPG player who thinks he has something to share. Discovered wargaming at the age of 9 or so thanks to Avalon Hill. Started playing D&D in the later days of the 70's as one of those annoying kids and currently games with spouse, family and friends.